Sexy electrical fireplace heater ladies n gents happy couples...?

Autumn Moo

I have been wanting to make love in front of a fireplace with some kenny g on. I live in an apt. So i am looking for a good quality electrical heater with good flames and fireplace noise, like pleasurable wood crackling noises.

I do not want the gel heaters

Any romantic ideas?

Answer
They sell electric heat faux fireplaces at Lowes. You can even get a mantle as well.

How do I use our fireplace?

jdingledin

Do I leave the doors open? It doesn't seem to be heating our home like I thought it would?r=1226343241

Answer
This is really the common misconception with traditional fireplaces. Most people assume that they heat your home since years back that is what people used to heat and cook with. But furnaces and wood soves were invented becasue fireplaces dont effectivly heat. As a matter of fact normally they net negative heat gain because of the air movement they initiate in a home.

When the fire burns in the fireplace the heat from the fire grabs already heated furnace air from inside the home and tosses it up the chimney along with its own heat. In return, it cast forward 10% of its radient heat. While the home is loosing heated air up the chimney it starts to draw in cold outside air from the basement and from the windows and doors to replace the air lost. This is called the home "stack effect".

WP&L Energy sent me a newsletter a while back that said if you use your fireplace every night it will make your heating bill go up 20%. That number seemed high to me since I have heard people say it is around a 10%-15% increase in your heating bill, but either way you get the picture...fireplace use will make your heating bill go up.

If you want to use the fireplace and get heat from it you have a couple of options. You can get a sealed fireplace insert with a blower. These are heavy cast iron units that are installed. (BTW, Dont go with the cheapo metal tubes and mini blower sets that are just set in your fireplace. I have seen a million variations of those and none of them work the way they are advertised.) You need a good quality insert that is EPA approved. They are not cheap, but they run at about 70% effieciency and they get heat for you.

Or, if you are just looking for a little flickery ambiance from your fireplace I would plug the flue with a chimney balloon to prevent cold air entry, and either put in an electric insert or use a candelabra with some candles. You can buy some really nice firebox candelabras that are classy looking, and they dress up the fireplace nicely. this way you get the look without the heat loss.

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Amish fireplace heat surge Not worth it?

Michelle H

Warring these fireplace only last a year. We got one last year for Christmas did not use it a lot. This winter we use it only at night to warm my daughter bedroom. Well last night went to turn it on and it would not turn on.Call the company all they would do is offer us another one for $139.00 The stove works but nothing like what they say. And they are made in China.

Answer
I do not own one of these but at one time I was considering buying one for my rental apartment downstairs, so I did some research. These fireplaces are cleverly advertised to make the consumer think the HEATER is Amish-made, but in fact it is only the outer wood mantle that is Amish-made. (By the way, I would not let the quality of this product reflect negatively on the work of the Amish ....they have good morals and standards and are worthy of respect.) However, the HEATER component of these fireplaces is manufactured in China, and well, we all know the issues associated with Chinese products lately !!! lol

Please check my link from Consumer Reports and Better Business Bureau:
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/home/2009/02/heat-surge-roll-n-glow-electric-fireplaces-amish-heaters-better-business-bureau.html

how to troubleshoot air quality problems in your home?

art_flood

I'm trying to find out how to improve the air quality in my home

What steps should I take? How do I troubleshoot problems if I have any?

I have a gas/co2 meter - and it usually measures 213 or 215 - I don't know if that is a problem or if that is standard - I've spoken to people about it they think that's the standard that it comes with. I don't know

I've done a radon test but I don't have the results back. The last time it was 2.5 - and I'm not sure if that is something I should do anything about.

I try to vacuum regularly

I have considered having the ducts cleaned

I have had people work on the furnace and hot water heater and supposedly that is all fixed now

I don't have any plants but I've considered getting them

I try to keep things clean but that has been a problem for me - I am considering hiring someone to help me

any more ideas?

thanks so much

Answer
"Air Quality" can be a pretty broad item to define. My original answer was too long, so I'm trimming it down - my apologies if it seems terse, or not enough details - there's a lot of info to cover.

Add/change your furnace filter to a HEPA filter (it will require changing more often)

Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter on it

Use 'dust trapping' tools, like the Swiffer product line, or attachments on your vacuum to do regular dusting.
Items that absolutely must be blown out with air, should be done outside.

For those that do not have a central air system, purchasing one or more air filtration units will help. Ionization filters CAN cause problems with computers or other sensitive electronics, and they will leave a black residue on the walls, especially near electrical outlets, which will have to be wiped off. Ionization purifiers cost less in the long run to operate - but with more and more things that have complex electronics inside them it may be necessary to stick with filtration units - again, use HEPA filters whenever possible.

Steam cleaning your central air system's ducts can remove the dust, AND help kill any germs hiding in there.

Avoid using candles, incense, and wood or gas burning fireplaces on a regular basis. They're fine for special occasions, just don't use them everyday - they do add smoke particulates as well as a small amount of carbon monoxide to the air.

ANYTHING that has an open flame creates carbon monoxide. This includes candles, gas appliances, kerosene heaters, oil lamps, and of course, things that use engines, like a generator. Portable electric generators, and kerosene heaters put out a LOT of carbon monoxide, and these items CAN be deadly. You cannot smell carbon monoxide, so it is important to have monitors/alarms in place.

NEVER use a generator inside an enclosed space.

All mobile home manufacturers that I am familiar with will VOID your home's warranty, if they discover you are using a kerosene heater. Kerosene heaters put out carbon monoxide, AND add moisture to the air, which can lead to other long term problems such as mold.

IF you have a gas water heater, a gas/wood burning fireplace, there should be a fresh air supply to those units, bringing air in from an area outside the living space. Many new gas central air furnaces will bring combustible air down from the attic space. The purpose of bringing in the 'fresh' air to the appliance is a safety factor, it brings in fresh oxygen for the unit to burn, as opposed to taking it out of the air you breathe in the living space. This technology has been adopted in many areas as part of the building codes, but older homes often do not have them.

As for Radon - Radon gas is naturally occurring in any kind of underground space. The best and simplest solution is to exchange the air on a regular basis. This can be done with a fresh air intake similar to those found on central air furnaces, or those supplying gas appliances, and fire places. You need an 'exchange' of air, bring fresh air in, old air out. In large factories, this is done with heat exchangers, to help minimize temperature differences between the outside and inside air. Another option is to bring air down from the attic space, like the modern furnace units do, and vent the old air to the outside. This method is a good choice if you live in a cold climate area.

Exchanging the air in the basement has an added benefit, in that it also helps reduce the moisture there, which, in turn helps eliminate, or at least slow down, mold growth. Mold thrives on moisture - the more moisture there is, the faster it will spread.
If your basement walls are always damp, check into ways to help stop water penetration, or condensation. Sometimes this is as simple as painting the walls with a moisture blocking paint, or as complex as excavating around the foundation to repair/install drainage, or sealers. At the very least, add a dehumidifier to the basement to help reduce the moisture content in the basement's air.
Pipes and ducts that tend to collect condensation (cold water lines, or central air ducts when running the air conditioner) should be insulated and wrapped with a moisture barrier to help prevent condensation. Any leaks, even slow drips, should be repaired as soon as possible.

You may want to consider using pillow and mattress covers on your beds too, such as those used by asthmatics, to prevent dust build up in them, dead skin cells, and even dust mites. I know this is a simple step that helps asthmatics sleep better.

I'm sure there are some things I've missed here, or situations which could call for particular solutions, but this should give you a good point from which to start looking at your home's air quality.

Good Luck

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What is better and more economical than a wood burning fireplace? gas, electric or pellet?

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geewiz

We currently have a wood burning fireplace. We would like to get an insert. Any suggestions as to electric or gas or pellet? What are the pros or cons? Cost? Installer? DIY?

Answer
If you choose pellet, use good quality pellets or you'll pay more in the long run on having the unit cleaned than you saved buying cheap pellets. Quiet and beautiful flames. The big bags of pellets are a con.

If you can do gas, I'd go with that. As long as the unit is outdoors. I knew someone who bought a $2000 gas heater and once it was installed, he realized it stunk the whole house up with a kerosene-like smell. Ugh And it was noisy too.

How much does it cost to build your own house?

Ethan

You do "ALL" the work (electric, plumbing, etc etc)

Answer
Here is a perfect "rough" calculator that you can use to calculate a ball-park cost:

http://www.building-cost.net/

You'll enter:

1. The number of corners the house will have.
2. The total living area square ft.
3. The quality classes of the materials used for the foundation, the exterior walls, the exterior finish, windows and doors, roofing/soffit/fascia, interior finish, flooring, bathrooms, kitchens, and plumbing. Each category can be rated 1 to 4 and there is a description of materials that fall into each class.
4. Is there an attic, balcony, basement, garage, or porch (finished/unfinished/etc).
5. Is it in a housing tract and in a metropolitan area.
6. Central heating/cooling.
7. Fireplaces.
8. What State it's to be built in.
9. What zip code will it be nearest to.
10. The result: Materials, Labor, Equipment, Total.

All in all it's a really neat calculator.

For Minneapolis, MN, a 8 corner house, 1858 square feet using class 2 (good) materials, with an unfinished 929 square foot basement and a 600 square foot unfinished garage, built within the metro area, with central forced air heat and cooling, and no fireplaces would be:

$84,696.00 materials
$10,684.00 insurance, permits, plans
--------------------
$95,380

A builder, on the other hand, would charge an additional $94,897.00 in labor and $27,255.00 in contractor markup for a total cost of $221,710.00

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Does anyone have one of those electric fireplace heaters/stoves? And if so, how do you like it?

best quality electric fireplaces image

lolabear

I'm thinking about getting one but I'm not sure how affective they are or how even how realistic the flames look. Let me know if your happy with yours or not. Thank you!

Answer
I love mine, but I NEVER use it to heat. Way too expensive! Only for the appearance of a fireplace. The flames have fooled lots of people. Shop around. There are many different quality of stoves. Mine is a 5 year old Dimplex.

Is California's highest in the nation unemployment related to its highest in the nation taxburden?

Tesla V

@Eric, I am not saying it is the rich. It is the high taxes killing jobs in California.

Answer
The unemployment rate is tied to the business climate-taxes are only part of that.

Another part is the amount of crap you have to go through to get anything done in this state. It always seems to require 42 state agencies, any one of which can say no for any reason (or for no reason).

Here's one example--I basically can no longer use my fireplace because of "bad air quality". By any actual measure, the air quality is better than it was 10, 20 or 30 years ago, but they've redefined "bad air quality" so that many more days fall into that category.

And because I have a fireplace (which I'm not allowed to use), I'm legally required to have a carbon monoxide detector in my home, in case the fire that I'm not allowed to burn causes a carbon monoxide build up. The most recent data I ran across in a short search is from 1979-1988 (when you could use your fireplace basically every day if you wanted), where it showed that non-vehicle carbon monoxide inhalation caused 270 deaths. Not per year--for the entire decade.

Nearly 1/4 of those occured in cabins or tents (where people might do something like run a kerosene heater or stove to keep warm, and didn't properly vent it). So because an average of 21 people per year died in houses from carbon monoxide (that's .00009% of the state population at the time), I'm legally required to install and test a carbon monoxide detector-in fact, I could not legally sell the house without one, and I couldn't have any sort of construction done (even something like an electric water heater our in the garage). I'm not saying it's a bad idea to have one, but to legally require it!? That's just asinine.

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Do you know where I can buy a good fire pits?

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Fire Pits: I want to buy good fire pit. So, please let me know from when i goes for buying it.

Answer
Indeed, Anybody who like to spend time for relaxation, can buy fire pits from Fire Pit Bargains. Fire Pit Bargains have unique collection of Copper Fire Pits, Outdoor Fire Pits, Electric Fireplaces, Cast Iron Chimineas and extraordinary selection of Fire Pits products.
As per my experience I would suggest people do not have to Go anywhere for fire pits as Fire Pit Bargains offer high-quality products with affordable prices.

Does anyone have one of those electric fireplace heaters/stoves? And if so, how do you like it?

lolabear

I'm thinking about getting one but I'm not sure how affective they are or how even how realistic the flames look. Let me know if your happy with yours or not. Thank you!

Answer
I love mine, but I NEVER use it to heat. Way too expensive! Only for the appearance of a fireplace. The flames have fooled lots of people. Shop around. There are many different quality of stoves. Mine is a 5 year old Dimplex.

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